Vela Latina
The so-called Vela Latina or Latin boats are simple, traditional sailing boats with a typical, one-masted rig that carries a single sail, the so-called Latin sail .
Origin and Distribution
The origin of this type of boat can be traced back to the Mediterranean Sea , it used to be a simple fishing boat. Today boats of this type are mainly based on the Canary Islands : in Arrecife and Playa Blanca on Lanzarote , in Puerto del Rosario and Corralejo on Fuerteventura and also off the coast of Gran Canaria you can often see these boats during regattas. Although the latin sails do not represent a boat class in this sense with fixed building regulations, they compete against each other in different classes, measured by the sail area. In spite of their historical background, they have contemporary advertising in their sails, provided there is a sponsor.
Also in the Mediterranean, especially around Sardinia , this type of boat is enjoying growing popularity again. In and around Carloforte , the La Maddalena Nature Park as well as in Bosa and Alghero , several events take place there every year. Some with old but restored boats, some with newly built ones.
Rig and sails
The latin sail is basically a jib sail with only a single clew and a luff (the leech) attached to a spar (the so-called rod ). The peculiarity of this rigging is that this sail is attached inside the shrouds , which in turn are pulled tight by pulleys on the windward side and are lowered on the leeward side. When turning , the front (lower) part of the yard (neck of the sail) is loosened, behind the mast on the leeward side again forward, where it is then reattached. With the appropriate wind and a sail area of up to 13 m 2, this represents an enormous feat of strength, which is why these boats are often sailed with a large crew; it is not uncommon to see up to eight people sitting on the edge for weight trim .
hull
The hull of the boat only has a constructive keel , which does not carry any ballast, the righting moment of the boat is ensured solely by the dimensional stability and the weight of the crew. In addition, these boats are not unsinkable, which is why at least one of the crew members is usually busy scooping up water. Except for the size, which can be from about five meters to 8.5 meters, the boats are identical in their external appearance and traditionally made of wood.
